


i know that you care for me now (and i’ll care for you)

by b4by_h0tl1n3



Series: you used to have me paralyzed (so here i go again) [2]
Category: Half Life VR But The AI Is Self-Aware
Genre: Apologies, Black Mesa Sweet Voice, Breakfast, Cooking, Garbage QVC Products, Happy Ending, Holding Hands, Hugs, I just want them to be happy dammit, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Morning Cuddles, Morning Routines, Other, Post-Canon Fix-It, Touch-Starved, broken glass, nothing graphic though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:41:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26205856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/b4by_h0tl1n3/pseuds/b4by_h0tl1n3
Summary: The morning after an unexpected arrival. Breakfast is served and apologies are made.(title from bbblue by olivver the kid)
Relationships: Benrey & Gordon Freeman, Benrey/Gordon Freeman
Series: you used to have me paralyzed (so here i go again) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1903141
Comments: 8
Kudos: 209





	i know that you care for me now (and i’ll care for you)

**Author's Note:**

> hello again! it’s bennie/harold :)  
> i was shooketh by all of the kind words on the last fic, so i decided to post the second part.
> 
> i hope you enjoy! <3 :)
> 
> NOTE: please do not interact with this fic if you actively write or consume nsfw content for HLVRAI! ‘I’d rather you didn’t’ equals ‘no!’

Gordon opened his eyes to find a mess of dark hair in his face. 

He initially panicked, but recalled the events of the night before and sighed. Looking down, he found Benrey sound asleep, slotted perfectly into his arms. Slivers of sunlight filtered in from behind the curtains, bathing the two of them in a soft glow. 

Taking a closer look at them, he could see a faint smattering of freckles covering their cheeks. They looked so peaceful, snuggled up to him with their head on his chest. 

Gordon quickly repressed any thoughts pertaining to their adorable appearance and let out a yawn. Carding his fingers through their mane of hair, he heard a pleased hum from the other. He would never admit it, but the guard had grown on him during The Event That Shall Not Be Named. 

The clock read ‘10:07 A.M.’ Time to get up. 

He tried to let go of them to attach his prosthetic but a clawed hand moved to clutch the soft fabric of his shirt. Clearly he wasn’t going to make it far without having to wake Benrey. 

“Hey,” he murmured, leaning towards them, “are you awake?” 

Gordon immediately realized what a pointless question that was, and started gently nudging them. Hearing a soft whine from the other, he could only chuckle at their antics. 

“I’m gonna need you to let go of me for a second, bud.” 

They wouldn’t budge. 

“Please?” 

There was no movement; only a quiet hum of disapproval. 

“Are you feeling better at all? Did you sleep okay?” 

Finally beginning to move, they sighed. 

“y-yeah.” They mumbled, releasing him from their grasp. 

Two cool blue eyes met his warm brown ones, and he couldn’t help but smile fondly. Gordon saw that familiar blue tint dust their cheeks and ruffled their hair teasingly before reaching for his prosthetic. Slipping it on, he dragged himself up and over to the side of the bed, but was stopped by a hand reaching for his own. 

“hey, uh, where- where’re you goin’?” They asked, stumbling over their words a bit. 

“I have to take my meds and stuff; get a start on the day, and everything.” 

Benrey opened their mouth but before they could speak, a long stream of teal orbs came out, punctuated by the growl of their stomach.

“Yeah, how about you come with me, I’ll make some breakfast, and we can talk? That sound good?” They nodded, but refused to budge from their spot beneath the covers as they watched him walk to the door. 

“You coming?” They rolled out of bed, but paused, shivering from the chill of the room. 

“You can take the blanket with you. Here,” he said, returning to them and grabbing the orange fleece blanket thrown over the top of the bed, “just do this.” He draped it over their shoulders like a cape and took their hand. 

“Let’s get moving, bud. Breakfast isn’t gonna make itself!” Gordon led them out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, keeping their fingers laced together. 

“You hungry for anything in particular?” 

Benrey shook their head, taking a seat at the counter. 

“Are you allergic to anything? Fuck, do aliens even have allergies?” 

They shrugged, pulling the blanket tighter around them. 

“Alright then… The Basic it is!” He immediately got to work, fetching the eggs and sausages from the fridge. He felt their eyes on him as he turned on the radio and popped a few pieces of bread in the toaster. The sizzling of sausages in the pan caused their ears to perk up, as the scent of breakfast wafted through the air. 

“Fair warning, the toast is gonna be done any minute. Might wanna cover your ears.” They followed his instructions, jumping a bit when the toaster popped. 

“It’s okay. I think we’re good in the toast department, so you don’t have to worry about it going off again.” 

He began to crack the eggs when they lumbered over to him. 

“feels bad just sitting here.” They muttered, and he felt them rest their head on his shoulder. 

“Can you get the plates and stuff out, then? They should be up in the cabinet with the glasses, and the silverware in the drawer below it.” 

They nodded, tying their blanket around their neck like a cape. The two shared a peaceful moment together, working quietly side-by-side. He almost laughed at how domestic it was. Turning off the stove, he double-checked both pans and smiled. 

“Okay, looks like everything is ready for eatin’! If you could bring me the plates, my dear?” He joked, sporting an extremely poor British accent.

Gordon heard the sound of something shattering behind him, and whirled around to find Benrey, jaw dropped to the floor, and the remains of a glass on the floor. He wondered what was wrong and the realization hit him like a sack of bricks. 

“Holy shit, man, okay… that was my bad. Lemme clean this up.” He went to get the dustpan and broom, but by the time he returned, the shards of glass were already gone. 

“What…? W-well okay, then! Thanks, I guess.” They just blinked at him, moving around him to grab another glass. 

He took both plates and filled them with a healthy amount of fried eggs, sausage, and buttered toast. 

“You want juice?” They nodded, and he slid the jug across the counter. As soon as he turned back, he saw them holding the glass up to their face and preparing to take a bite out of it, all while keeping their eyes locked on his. 

“No, don’t you dare!” 

A smug expression spread across Benrey’s face as they set it back down and poured themself a drink. 

“Wait, did you eat the pieces of the glass you broke? Oh, fuck, that’s not okay! Do I need to take you to the hospital or something? God, why would you eat that?” He heard something akin to a witch cackle from the other. 

“chill, man. i’m sorry i didn’t leave any of it for you. maybe next time…” Gordon snorted, still somewhat concerned about the state of their organs. 

“Breakfast is served!” He cried triumphantly, setting down the two plates. 

“I added some salt and pepper to the eggs, but let me know if you need more.” He stepped around the counter and took a seat beside them, their shoulders brushing against each other. Watching them take a bite of their food, he was secretly delighted to see their eyes light up. 

They wolfed down their plate in record time, and he chuckled. 

“You really liked that, huh?” Nodding eagerly, Benrey got up to set their plate in the sink. “damn, gordon chefman over here. fuckin, uh, gordon ramsay.” He let out a hearty laugh, nearly choking on a bite of toast. 

They watched him take his meds and finish eating while downing another cup of apple juice. The radio continued to play, offering gentle background noise.

“Hey, uh, can I talk to you about something? It’s kinda important.” 

Their face fell, and they began to pick at the skin around their fingers. 

“sure.” They said, voice wavering slightly. 

“Alright. C’mon, the couch seems like a better place to chat than here.” Gordon took their clawed hand again, running his thumb over their knuckles to comfort them. 

The two sat beside each other, and he turned to face them, mentally preparing himself to speak. 

“Hey, could you please look at me?” He asked, holding both of their hands in his. They shifted so he could see their face, shaking their hair away from their eyes. 

“Thanks.” He murmured, patting their shoulder and trying to keep his voice steady. Cupping their cheek, he finally spoke up. 

“I’m sorry, Benrey. I’m sorry for all of the yelling, and fighting, and just- just general anger towards you on my part.” 

They stared at him, confused. 

“I never took any time or made any effort to understand you, which only escalated things. I was stressed and…” he took a deep breath, “never mind. That’s just me making excuses.” He sighed. 

“It’s just- you deserve better than that. You deserve someone who will listen and be there for you. I’m sorry I wasn’t that person.” 

Gordon saw bright lights flow from their mouth and paused to try and decipher them. 

[Colors of the sunrise mean surprise.] 

They stared at him for a bit, clearly choosing their words carefully. 

“well, uh, i did, ya’ know,” they motioned to his prosthetic, “to be fair. i’d have the big mad too. but it wasn’t, uh, out of nowhere? like, you had- you had every right to be mad. yeah, it hurt a lil’ bit, but that’s just how it was. consequences, i guess. ‘m sorry too.” 

The two sat in silence before Benrey spoke up. 

“not angry. not like i could stop it.” 

They pulled their hands away, and he looked up at them, confused. 

“What do you mean by ‘couldn’t stop it?’” Gordon asked, concern evident in his voice. 

“they knew what i wanted. they knew and th-they threatened me. said they were- they were gonna hurt you, or your kid, and- and i would never let that happen. like ‘oh, benny boy’s gonna have to be kept on script or else.’” 

Their claws began to dig into their exposed thighs as they continued. 

“and when you lost your arm, i- i hated myself for letting you get hurt, but uh, my lips were kinda sealed there. didn’t want them to hurt you more. i just… maybe i am the villain. didn’t fight back or anything. i-” 

“Benrey?” He asked, carefully taking their hands back so that they wouldn’t hurt themself. 

“Did they really- were you trying to protect me?” 

They nodded wordlessly, and in seconds they found themself in a death-grip hug. 

“I… I had no idea. God, I was so awful to you, and you were only trying to help…” Gordon let them straddle his hips, pressing themself flush against him, holding onto him as if he’d disappear if they let go.

“I’m so unbelievably sorry, Benrey, and I mean it. I already owe you massively for protecting my son, but with how I treated you… I don’t know if there’s anything I can do to make this right, I-” 

“‘s okay. i forgive you.” 

He felt the guard bury a kiss in his hair, and he nearly fell apart. 

“no hard feelings here. i was a huge dick back there, and i deserved it.” 

He shook his head, cupping their cheek again with his real hand. 

“No, you deserve love and respect. I should’ve been better. You deserve better.” 

They tucked themself into his arms, and he broke down, body heaving. 

“I- I…” Gordon felt his hair be pulled from its messy ponytail, and whimpered pathetically into their shoulder. Cool-colored glowing orbs surrounded them, filling the room with soft light. 

[Sky blue to gray means ‘it’s gonna be okay.’] 

Benrey continued to sing as he let them brush through his auburn hair with their fingers. 

“let’s just hang out until you can talk? okay? okay friend?” He nodded, leaning into their touch. They began to massage his scalp and he all but died on the spot, releasing the tension in his shoulders.

“cool. need some tv on or something? silence bad?” He hummed in affirmation and let go of them so they could grab the remote. There were a few button clicks and Gordon opened his eyes to… the shopping channel? They turned back to him, laughing at his confused expression. 

“wha? feetman doesn’t need to buy, uh, gangnam style singing toothbrush? lame.” He snorted, shoving them off of his lap. 

“bro, what’s your credit card info, i’m gonna need, i’m gonna need, uh, six of those.” He wrapped his arms around them again, keeping them from scouring the house for his wallet. They squirmed around in his grasp for a minute or so, whining about gamer needs, before relaxing. 

“all shitposts aside, i- i…” they took a deep breath, “i care you.” Benrey muttered, blue blush dusting their cheeks. 

“i know- i know your bro hasn’t, uh, been number one, but yeah.” 

Gordon ruffled their hair and smiled weakly. Getting up off of the couch, he extended his real hand to them. They took it cautiously as he pulled them to their feet. He squeezed their hand gently, turning to look at them. 

“So, we’re co-op from now on?” 

Letting out a loud ‘BBBBBBBBBB,’ Benrey’s eyes lit up. 

“yeah, gordon. let’s 100% percent this shit.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading! <3
> 
> feel free to leave a comment down below if you enjoyed or if you’re just in a comment-y mood! there’s always room for improvement here!


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